Detoured Cruise Ship to Head Back to Texas From Miami

Royal Caribbean's Liberty of the Seas is heading back to Texas after Hurricane Harvey forced it to be diverted to Miami.

(Published Tuesday, Aug. 29, 2017)

Royal Caribbean's Liberty of the Seas cruise ship arrived in Miami Tuesday after it was diverted away from Texas due to Hurricane Harvey.

The ship, which was scheduled to arrive in Galveston on Sunday, reached Port Miami Tuesday morning.

More than 4,400 passengers were on the ship when the storm passed through and caused the cruise port in Galveston to be closed. About 2,100 were expected to get off in Miami.

"It's been tough but Royal Caribbean has treated us really well," passenger Tynisa Rodriguez said. "Through the storm there's a lot of Texans on the boat and it's sad what they are going to go back to but Royal Caribbean was really good."

Royal Caribbean said the ship was diverting until conditions in Galveston are safe. The company said it anticipates the ship will be able to return there on Friday.

Not everyone was celebrating the ship's arrival in Miami.

"Oh man, I just found out my car is under water. I'm from Katie, right outside of Houston. So my house, my car, everything's flooded," passenger Jacob Sedlar said. "So I don't have much to go home to but it is what it is, can't do much about it, you know."

Royal Caribbean said they were doing all they could to help guests adjust their travel arrangements. The ship's next voyage, which was scheduled to leave Sunday, has been canceled.

Two of Carnival's ships were supposed to arrive in Galveston on Saturday and another was supposed to arrive on Sunday. Instead, all three arrived in New Orleans at different times between Monday and Tuesday and are slated to leave for Galveston at different times between Tuesday and Wednesday, a company spokeswoman said in an email to CNBC.

Carnival will provide guests a full refund and a 25 percent future cruise credit if booked within the next 60 days. Royal Caribbean will also provide a full refund and a future cruise credit.